Tests ahead after spill
FOOD crops in Stanthorpe have been put at risk of being irrigated with raw effluent.
It’s understood at least 100,000 litres of untreated wastewater containing human waste spilled into Stanthorpe’s Quart Pot Creek in two incidents last week.
If it wasn’t for the rain, farmers downstream could have been using raw effluent on vegies.
Broccolini farmer Chris Wren said no one from the council had contacted him about the spill by the afternoon, despite signs notifying users of the issue being erected by council that morning.
While there were pollution warning signs erected at the West Rd causeway, Mr Wren said this was not a common route for him and he was not warned.
Mr Wren said they had received 100mm of rain recently and would likely not be irrigating from the creek soon, but said the spillage could have dire implications for nearby farms. Mr Wren said he would push for the Southern Downs Regional Council to foot the bill for water testing.
“There’s no way in the world I’m going to be out of pocket to test the water, that’s for sure,” he said.
“It’ll certainly be council’s place to (conduct testing).”
The council’s director of engineering services Peter See said the two spills were caused by illegal stormwater pipelines.
“This is largely due to a high number of illegal stormwater connections into the sewer,” Mr See said.
“Council will commence investigation shortly into these illegal connections and will be issuing notices.
“The environmental authority has been notified.”
The council erected warning signs for the polluted area, including at Quart Pot Creek on West Rd, last Wednesday morning.
A Department of Heritage and Environmental Protection spokesman said it received a notification of the release on Tuesday and an investigation was now under way.
There’s no way in the world I’m going to be out of pocket to test the water, that’s for sure.
— Chris Wren